Agriculture is often said to be an endangered industry in Japan because the nation’s farming population has declined by 1 million from 3.3 million in 2005 to 2.3 million in 2013, and the average age of farmers in Japan is 66. However, women, who make up half of the total agricultural workforce in Japan, are beginning to play a greater….Read more

(Nikkei: July 28, 2015 – p. 3)    By Ryohei Yasoshima in Lahaina, Hawaii    The Japanese and U.S. governments will aim at settling the tough issues of rice and autos through bilateral ministerial talks on the sidelines of the 12-nation TPP negotiations. Minister for Economic and Fiscal Policy and Economic Revitalization Akira Amari and USTR Michael Froman will meet….Read more

(Yomiuri: July 23, 2015 – p. 9)    Japan and the U.S. are nearing the end in their bilateral talks over rice, which are part of negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact. With the 12-country trade pact expected to be finalized at a ministerial meeting later this month, it appears that the two countries have made concessions to address….Read more

(Nikkei: July 20, 2015 – p. 2)    Liberal Democratic Party members are seeking to secure budgets to strengthen domestic agriculture, as they shift their focus to political developments after talks over the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact are finalized. Among them, agriculture lobbyist politicians are particularly active, demanding the government allocate at least 1 trillion yen over multiple years. They….Read more

(Sankei: July 11, 2015 – p. 1)    Japan is considering a concession plan to set a new tariff-free import quota for U.S. rice for general consumption and increase its annual import volume to up to around 70,000 tons, sources said on July 10.    Japan appears to have presented this proposal during its bilateral working-level talks with the U.S.,….Read more

(Yomiuri: July 11, 2015—p. 9)    

(Asahi: July 10, 2015 – p. 7)    By Kenji Oyamada, senior writer    Tariffs on imported U.S. beef and pork are expected to be reduced or abolished in the Japan-U.S. talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).    The two countries have reached agreements on tariffs on beef and pork in their negotiations so far. They are now finalizing the….Read more

(Nikkei: July 9, 2015—p. 21)    

(Asahi: July 9, 2015 – p. 1)    The government is considering a plan to purchase domestic rice equivalent to the import quotas for rice that it may award the U.S. and Australia under the ongoing negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact.    The aim is to prevent a fall in prices of domestic rice. The purchased rice will….Read more

(Nikkei: July 9, 2015 – p. 5)    On July 9 Japan and the U.S. will resume working-level consultations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact to iron out differences in outstanding issues ahead of a 12-country ministerial meeting scheduled later this month.    Much of discussion will be centered on rice and automobiles. But Tokyo and Washington will also….Read more